Thursday, 20 December 2012

I am a big fan of packaging. I will often buy more expensive
make up not because I necessarily believe the product is better (the likes of
L’Oreal are huge profitable companies so arguably have much bigger testing and
innovation budgets) but because I have to look at the packaging every day and
the prettier it is, the happier it makes me. When it comes to Christmas, I like
to make a real tradition out of wrapping my presents prettily with layers of
different papers, scraps of wallpaper, particularly nice packaging I have saved
from something I have been given, ribbons and so on. The effect is slightly kimono-like with the
different textiles and ribbon ‘sash.’

I believe it makes my gifts feel more special and carefully
prepared. I also hope to give people a real sense of indulgence when they rip
through something put together just for them.

Here is a quick inspiration post about how I am wrapping up
this Christmas.

Step 1. Buy gifts

Step 2. Get together a collection of papers – sometimes
brown paper and some more elaborate papers can look nice and crafty, sometimes
I even use a bit of newspaper or a slice of a graphic advert from a magazine. I
also use up wallpaper cuttings left from interior design shoots I have worked
on but you can also get these or some wallpaper samples cheaply from some
interior design shops. You don’t need so much of the elaborate papers if you
use a nice plain one as your base.

Step 3. Wrap the present in your base paper.

Step 4. Layer your papers in a way that you are pleased
with, cut them and sellotape them around.

Step 5. Tie your ribbon around it and curl with scissors if using that type of
ribbon.

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

This post enables you to have a whole affordable and down to earth dinner party meal plan at the ready should you approve of my menus for Beef cheek and Pork Cheek. Since the cheeks aren't the most beautiful thing on the earth, unless you have some pretty good ideas for presentation (I had some daintier ones at L'Atelier Robuchon in Tokyo) I wouldn't serve it at something very formal but this is a great hearty winter dish for friends. I didn't do a starter but a Jerusalem artichoke soup such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's would have gone very nicely, tying in with the aniseed (baby fennel and fennel seeds) in both of the mains. I haven't actually tried the recipe though so can't vouch for it but intend to try it out soon.

Both puddings fit the cheeky theme since they are restaurant classics in essence (pana cotta and chocolate fondant) but are the easiest thing to prepare, and relatively cheap. The panna cotta is pretty seventies but it is delicious and can be prepared a day in advance (it lasts fine after a day or two but becomes more set and definitely less delicious).

Chocolate teacup cakes

These are a hybrid of 2 nigella recipes and a Gordon Ramsay fondant but all done in a teacup. Ingredients (makes 9)200g good-quality dark chocolate chopped into small pieces200g butter , in small pieces200g golden caster sugar4 eggs and 4 yolks200g plain flour

2 crunchie (40g each) chocolate shaved off and crushed with a rolling pin.

1. First get your teacups ready (they should be good quality porcelain ones otherwise they could break in the oven). Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge.

2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.

3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.

4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.

5. Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide between the teacups. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20 mins or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.

6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 8-10 mins until the tops have formed a crust. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before serving.

7. While the fondants are cooking,make the glaze. Bring the water and honey to a boil in a smallish, though not tiny, saucepan, then turn off the heat and add the finely chopped chocolate (I use my mezzaluna or 70 per cent cocoa solids buttons), swirling it around to melt in the hot liquid. Leave it for a few minutes then whisk together. Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk again until smooth

8. Glaze the fondants and then scatter the crunchie flakes over their centre. Serve!

Boozy vanilla panna cotta and ginger beer poached pears

If I am entirely honest I like the panna cotta with a blueberry coulis the best but these pears gives it a more festive feel.

For the Pears1/2 pear per person so 2 for 4 (Anjou are sweet and delicious but any will work as long as they aren't over ripe)500ml ginger beer or enough to coverRed food colouring (I add a teaspoon for a Christmassy touch but this is not necessary)50g honey or 40g sugar if you don't have honey to handVanilla pod1 cinnamon stick5 cloves

Method

1.Peel the pears leaving the stalk in tact and add to the liquid (the liquid should cover the pears so if there isn't enough add more ginger beer/wine/water)

2. Put all the ingredients except for the pear into a pan and heat to dissolve the honey / sugar.

3. Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the liquid. The cooking time depends on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill (but make sure they come to room temperature before serving).

4. Remove the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.For the Panna CottaI use this recipe and change the flavour/accompaniment when I fancy - it's delicious with a blue berry coulis and when flavoured with rose water too.

Method1. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for at least 4-5 minutes.

2. Place the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla seeds (and flavouring if using) in a pan with a heavy base. Slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Remove from the heat then take the gelatine leaves one by one, squeeze out the excess water and stir into the cream mixture until dissolved.

4. Rinse out 9 100ml pudding moulds with cold water but do not dry. I like to use little silicone moulds because it is easy to get the panna cotta out of them.

5. Divide the panna cotta mixture between them. Cool and then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours until set.

6. To serve, dip the moulds one at a time into hot water for 2-10 seconds (depending of type of mould), then turn out onto plates.

Sunday, 16 December 2012

A light, lemony pea and mint soup: the best antidote to a December weekend

It's that time of the year: weekends are more packed, food richer, wine-drinking heavier which leaves us in a comatosed state by the time it's Sunday night - good for nothing more than settling down to Homeland and maybe this season's Peep Show. What better to accomany that than a meal which will make you feel virtuous and only takes 30 minutes to make - all for the moneybags price of £5 to £6.

Ingredients:1 bag of frozen peas - 500g1 medium sized potato1 litre of bouillon vegetable stockA bunch of fresh mint finely choppedJuice from 1/2 a lemon1 tablespoon or two per bowl of yoghurt (I prefer Greek)Bread to serve if you require

Instructions:Cut your potato into chunks and boil in a large saucepan as though you were making a mash. Meanwhile chop your mint leaves and make your litre of vegetable stock. After the first 10 minutes of boiling, add your peas for the last 3 minutes. Drain the potato and peas and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse out your saucepan, add the vegetable stock and set aside. Once your potato and pea mixture has cooled, mix them on high in a food processor for 2 minutes. Once they've made a consistent paste, add your mint for an additional 30 seconds, you want the paste to have darker green specks in it. Transfer the paste to the saucepan with the vegetable stock, add the lemon juice and stir over a high heat until the entire mixture bubbles. Reduce for 5-10 minutes until the soup is to the consistency you want it. Then simply serve with black pepper and yoghurt. Done. I like a nice slice of buttered Poilaine with mine. You can buy at all Waitroses, but any sour-dough or wheat and rye bread is a good equivalent.